Donald Trump Mocked With Giant ‘Iran War Participation Trophy’ In New York

A towering anti-Donald Trump art installation recently surfaced in Manhattan, reviving a provocative political stunt first unveiled in Washington, D.C. The ten-foot-tall gold display sarcastically awards the president for his involvement in the Iran war.

The giant trophy is only the latest in a years-long campaign by an anonymous art collective that has repeatedly targeted Trump.

An anonymous art collective behind a string of anti-Trump installations has taken its latest jab to New York, where its towering “Iran War Participation Trophy” quickly became a magnet for curious onlookers and political debate.

According to The Washington Post, the ten-foot-tall, gold-painted trophy appeared in Manhattan’s Foley Square after first being displayed in Washington, D.C. A plaque sarcastically “awards” Donald Trump for his “enthusiastic involvement” in the Iran war, comparing him to children who receive participation trophies simply for showing up.

The display goes beyond a single sculpture. More than three dozen mock awards surround the base, including ribbons and trophies poking fun at Trump’s electoral losses and personal appearance. The artists, who operate anonymously under the name Secret Handshake, also invited the public to add their own participation trophies to the exhibit.

The Many Ways Secret Handshake Has Mocked Donald Trump

The collective behind the giant “Iran War Participation Trophy” has spent the past two years turning President Donald Trump into the centerpiece of a growing series of satirical public art stunts across Washington, D.C. Operating under the name Secret Handshake, the group has produced roughly a dozen installations, each tackling a different political controversy.

One of its most talked-about works, unveiled in September 2025, showed Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein holding hands beneath a plaque celebrating their “Friendship Month.” The artists later revisited that theme with a “Titanic”-inspired sculpture and an oversized reproduction of a birthday message Trump has denied writing to Epstein.

The collective has also branched beyond statues. In March, it unveiled a giant gold toilet near the Lincoln Memorial to mock White House renovations. Weeks later, it installed playable arcade machines titled “Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell,” a retro-style video game that criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.

Despite the provocative themes, Secret Handshake has insisted its work is meant to be humorous rather than cruel. The artists remain anonymous and say the focus should stay on the message, not the people creating it.

White House Fires Back At Trump Trophy

The White House did not laugh off the jab. In a statement to PEOPLE, spokeswoman Anna Kelly dismissed the creators as “untalented” and told them to stay out of foreign policy. She also called their work “ugly” before arguing that the military had completed every objective assigned under Operation Epic Fury.

That defense echoed the administration’s original description of the campaign. When the operation launched in March, the White House said its goals included eliminating what it called an imminent Iranian nuclear threat, destroying ballistic missile capabilities, weakening proxy networks, and crippling the country’s naval forces.

Kelly’s response did not address the trophy’s specific criticism or the casualties tied to the conflict. Instead, the administration framed the installation as an uninformed attack on a military operation it continues to portray as a success.

One Of Trump’s Most Infamous Art Feuds Started In 2016

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Trump has long been one of America’s most frequent subjects of political protest art. During the 2016 presidential campaign, for instance, the anarchist collective INDECLINE placed life-size nude statues of Trump in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Cleveland. The work, titled “The Emperor Has No Balls,” quickly attracted crowds eager for selfies and public debate.

The figures were created by an artist known as Ginger using clay and silicone, with each sculpture weighing roughly 300 pounds, per TIME. Most were removed soon after appearing in public spaces, but one surviving statue later headed to auction through Julien’s Auctions.

The piece was expected to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000, placing Trump’s likeness alongside works connected to major street and pop artists.

How Donald Trump’s Election Inspired Artists To Fight Back

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Trump’s ascension to the presidency also triggered a broader backlash across the art world. Days after his 2016 election victory, New York artist Roxanne Jackson posted an online call for women artists and curators to organize a group show. The idea exploded almost immediately, drawing hundreds of responses within its first hour.

That reaction became the “Nasty Women Art Exhibition,” a visual protest named after Trump’s debate remark about Hillary Clinton. Nearly 700 artists ultimately participated, contributing about 1,000 pieces to the New York show.

Organizers kept submissions small and affordable, with works priced at $100 or less. Proceeds benefited Planned Parenthood, while no qualifying artist who submitted work was turned away. The protest soon expanded well beyond New York, inspiring related exhibitions in other U.S. cities and overseas.